Former Doubletree hotel will be upgraded for Johnson & Wales University residence hall
Johnson & Wales University based in Providence, R.I., plans to fully renovate a major residence hall on its Charlotte, N.C. campus. The renovated structure will accommodate a mixed use of housing and student services.
The 97,000-sf building, currently called “The Maple,” was previously managed as the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. It will be completely overhauled with new mechanical and building systems and infrastructure, 150 rooms for upper class students (with a potential occupancy of 276), an admissions welcome center, and a central location for student services.
The project is expected to take about two years to complete. The expected investment by the university will be around $42 million, funded through a combination of investment reserves and philanthropy from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
The Maple building was built in 1988 and purchased by the university in 2004. It served as a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel for 20 years until 2024. Initial capital work was completed at that time to transition the facility into a residence hall. Following one year of student residency, the university began more significant improvements and completed initial work in anticipation of a larger project.
The lower first floor will serve as an admissions welcome center and student lounge (during off-hours) totaling about 6,500 sf. The second floor will be the location of several student services including: academic success, financial services, student affairs, student academic services, experiential education, and career services.
Floors three to eight will be residential, accommodating 276 student beds. Each room includes a bathroom. The residential floors will feature laundry facilities on each floor and a lounge for studying, socializing, or a community kitchen for skills practice on some floors.
Over the last year, the university’s Charlotte Campus has celebrated several milestone achievements. Last June, the North Carolina Board of Governors granted approval to offer a 90-credit, three-year degree program in Hospitality Management under the University’s current accreditation, making it the first in the Southeast to offer such a degree.
The campus’s first Nursing Degree graduates were awarded Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees in August. And in the fall, the campus achieved its highest enrollment numbers since 2020, primarily driven by its renowned Culinary Arts program.
The building team:
Owner and/or Developer: Johnson & Wales University
Design Architect: Little Diversified Architectural Consulting
Architect of Record: Little Diversified Architectural Consulting
MEP Engineer: Little Diversified Architectural Consulting
Structural Engineer: Little Diversified Architectural Consulting
General Contractor/Construction Manager: 3TEN Construction
